European parliament calls for designation of IRGC as terrorist organisation

The European Parliament has called on the Council of the European Union to swiftly designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates, including the Basij militia and the Quds Force, as terrorist organisations.

In a resolution adopted on January 22 with 562 votes in favour, 9 against, and 57 abstentions, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voiced outrage at the escalating violence against protesters in Iran, Caliber.Az reports per the parliament's statement. 

" MEPs demand the immediate and unconditional release of all protesters, human rights defenders and journalists currently held under arrest," the resolution states. "Parliament unconditionally demands that the Iranian authorities, under the rule of Ali Khamenei, immediately end violence agains."

The call for the IRGC’s designation comes after a brutal crackdown on widespread protests in Iran, where thousands of demonstrators have been killed. Parliament expressed alarm that the repression, once aimed at deterrence, has now shifted to a strategy of “strategic elimination” of dissent.

The resolution also calls for the immediate expansion of EU sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, as well as stronger enforcement of existing measures. MEPs welcomed recent US sanctions against Iran, urging the EU to mirror this action.

Parliament further condemned the regime’s use of internet shutdowns to censor protests and called for the EU and its Member States to support circumvention tools to ensure that the flow of information remains uninterrupted.

Additionally, MEPs insisted on immediate and unhindered access for the UN-mandated fact-finding mission to investigate human rights abuses, including murder, torture, and enforced disappearances, carried out by Iranian authorities.

The resolution also reiterated the EU’s stance on normalising relations with Iran, stressing that such efforts could only take place after the unconditional release of political prisoners and significant progress toward democracy and the rule of law.

By Sabina Mammadli